Nurses’ reciprocation of perceived organizational support: the moderating role of psychological contract breach

Abstract

Purpose The nursing profession demands emotional and psychological attachment to perform well. Nurses should not only engage in their work thoroughly, but also be willing to perform beyond their normal job descriptions. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to examine the role of perceived organizational support (POS) in enhancing nurses work engagement (WE) and extra-role behavior (i.e. OCB). Design/methodology/approach This study used a questionnaire-based survey to collect data from 389 nurses. Findings The study found that the relationships among POS, WE, and citizenship behavior may further be explained through affective commitment (AC); whereas the association between POS and AC is moderated by the psychological contract breach. Research limitations/implications The data for this study was collected through self-reported questionnaires at one point of time. The implications for the policy makers are also discussed. Originality/value This study integrates job demand resource and social exchange theories in the healthcare sector to explain the nurses’ response to POS.